Josiah Grey and Keibert Ruiz, the über prospects the Dodgers traded a yr in the past to accumulate Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, have been the Washington Nationals’ battery Tuesday night time.
Watching them toil for the last-place Nationals in an 8-3 win over the Dodgers, the questions have been apparent though the solutions are usually not. A minimum of not but.
Which staff received the deal? Or was it a wash?
On the time, it appeared like a steal for the Dodgers. However they didn’t attain the World Sequence and Scherzer didn’t re-sign. Turner, a free agent after this season, is taking part in on the degree of a Most worthy participant, however wouldn’t the Dodgers have to win the World Sequence for the commerce to be value giving up arguably their prime two prospects?
Grey, a beginning pitcher with electrical stuff, strikes out greater than a batter per inning and provides up lower than successful per inning. Ruiz, a switch-hitting catcher, is strong defensively and makes contact at a excessive charge from each side of the plate. Each are beneath staff management till 2028, cornerstones of the Nationals’ rebuilding plan.
But they've a big blemish: Grey offers up too many residence runs. Ruiz doesn’t hit sufficient of them.
Grey has been touched for a staggering 42 residence runs in 167-2/3 profession innings. Mookie Betts greeted him with a 404-foot blast to heart subject within the first inning Tuesday — the 14th time in 18 begins this season Grey has surrendered a house run — and Cody Bellinger hit a hovering drive to proper on the primary pitch of the fifth inning.
Betts thwarted a Nationals scoring risk within the fifth when he threw out Victor Robles on the plate on Josh Bell’s two-out single, however protection harm the Dodgers within the eighth.
The inning started with second baseman Gavin Lux making a throwing error, and Luis García homered towards reliever Garrett Cleavinger on an 0-and-2 pitch with two out to provide Washington a 4-3 lead.
“I left it up a bit,” Cleavinger stated. “Hung it in a foul spot.” Referring to Lux’s error, Cleavinger stated, “It occurs to everyone. We’re all human. The subsequent 100 instances he’ll make that play.”
Cleavinger was known as up from triple A earlier than the sport to provide what supervisor Dave Roberts known as “a contemporary arm.” Roberts stayed with him within the ninth as a result of he wished to provide a number of different relievers the night time off, and the Nationals scored 4 insurance coverage runs.
Ruiz, who's batting .249, drove in a kind of runs with a single. Nonetheless, he has solely three residence runs in 310 plate appearances. He doesn’t strike out a lot however too usually makes weak contact on pitches out of the strike zone.
No matter their longball shortcomings, Roberts holds Ruiz and Grey in excessive regard.
On Grey: “I like Josiah lots. What stands out is the fastball; it’s a novel fastball. It’s a low arm slot, there may be rise and there's a slider in there. He’s been excellent towards right-handed hitters and had a harder time towards left-handed hitters.”
On Ruiz: “Keibert goes to be a extremely good participant for a very long time. The primary factor for him is to tackle the catching duties and get familiarized with the pitchers. There has by no means been a number of energy however he has elite bat-to-ball expertise from each side of the plate.”
The Dodgers and Nationals would possibly work one other mega-trade forward of this yr’s Aug. 2 commerce deadline. Washington is contemplating presents for celebrity Juan Soto and the Dodgers have the attractive younger gamers to swing a deal.
If that ought to happen, the Dodgers must win one other World Sequence or three earlier than Soto may turn out to be a free agent after the 2024 season. And the Nationals must efficiently rebuild across the plethora of prospects.
Something much less from both staff, and winner and loser must be simple to find out.
Dodgers change tune on Taylor
A number of weeks in the past, Roberts made it clear that invaluable utility man Chris Taylor would play solely outfield the remainder of the season due to issues about his proper elbow, which as surgically repaired through the offseason.
Then Taylor went on the injured listing July 5 with a fractured foot, and now's about to go on a minor league rehab project.
Will he play solely outfield or will he combine in some second base? Have the Dodgers modified their stance?
“Now we have within the sense that a number of it was pushed by the elbow and giving it time to heal up,” Roberts stated. “We simply really feel like he can deal with the completely different arm angles from the infield and outfield, so having him taking grounders within the infield offers us extra choices.
“I simply don’t assume there may be a number of draw back so far as having Chris getting re-familiarized with second base.”
And if the Dodgers purchase Juan Soto on the commerce deadline, Taylor wouldn’t have an outfield spot. Reminded of that risk, Roberts laughed and stated, “That’s proper, that’s proper.”
Heaney to provide it one other go
Left-hander Andrew Heaney will make his fourth begin of the season and first since June 19 when he takes the mound towards the Nationals on Wednesday
Heaney made two extremely efficient begins firstly of the season earlier than lacking two months with a sore left shoulder. His return lasted just one begin, when once more he was dominant but reinjured the shoulder.
In 15-1/3 innings over three begins, he’s given up one run whereas placing out 23. His ERA is 0.59.
Roberts stated Heaney can be restricted to about 75 pitches Wednesday. Heaney has made solely two appearances towards the Nationals in his nine-year profession, giving up 4 runs in seven innings.
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